EDITORIAL: Electric power project gets good start

Source: Erie Times-News, Pa.自存倉Sept. 17--AdvertisementNews that Erie is in line to be part of a $1 billion project to import electricity from Canada to the U.S. came at the right moment -- two days after a power outage left more than 20,000 Penelec customers in the dark.The timing was coincidental. John Douglas, chief executive of Lake Erie Power Corp., had spent four months talking to elected officials, economic development specialists, government regulatory agencies and the S.O.N.S. of Lake Erie sports fishing group before he announced the energy project on Thursday in Erie."High heat and demand -- high load" caused last Tuesday's outage, according to a spokesman for FirstEnergy, parent company of Penelec. Without traffic signals or street lamps, motorists crept through intersections. Retail trade ground to a halt, and people stuck at home wondered how they would get relief from the 91-degree temperatures. We take electricity for granted, until it's not there. One benefit of the proposed Lake Erie Cleanpower Connector project is that it would add capacity to the PJM grid, which serves 13 states, including Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia.There are many other enticing elements to this project, starting with jobs: 300 to lay the cable and construct converter stations in Erie County and in Nanticoke, Ontario; 1,200 indirect jobs during construction, for suppliers and spinoff businesses, such as hotels for construction workers; and 20 to 30 permanent jobs, split between the converter stations in Erie and Nanticoke.Having an additional electrical generation facility in Erie County would also迷你倉be a valuable tool for economic development, Douglas said. The project could provide lower rates for both commercial and residential customers, as it imports excess electrical power generated by a mix of nuclear, gas and hydropower plants and by wind and solar sources.The project will be privately funded, without tax incentives, and when it is complete, it will generate income and property tax revenue, Douglas said. The Toronto Globe and Mail described Douglas as a "Canadian entrepreneur ... known for proposing huge and innovative projects" and noted his big financial success came from selling a wind farm he had developed.The notion of burying a transmission cable in a trench in Lake Erie will raise many questions about the environmental impact, but Douglas has used the right approach by explaining the technology to key players in advance. Credit former state Sen. Jane Earll, of Fairview Township, for arranging those contacts. It's also a good sign that Lake Erie Power Corp. has opened an office at 1540 East Lake Road, at the former International Paper property, with a local engineer in charge.Douglas pledged to provide good communication about the project, which could start in 2016 or 2017 after all permits are approved. Public meetings will be held after a route from Nanticoke to Erie is selected.To learn more, visit .cleanpowerconnector.com, where an animated video under the FAQ tab provides a good explanation about the trench technology.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 the Erie Times-News (Erie, Pa.) Visit the Erie Times-News (Erie, Pa.) at .GoErie.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉